Ann Arbor's Legendary Blimpy Burger - Rest In Peace

Reviewed by Kevin and LucasVisited on the afternoon of Monday, January 30, 2012(many return visits)

Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a burger everyone must experience. We have nothing but good things to say about this place. Everything is good when it comes to Krazy Jim’s Blimpy Burger.

As soon as we pulled up outside Blimpy Burger, we could smell the deliciousness. Only a few places offer a tantalizing odor good enough to draw you in. No, this smell is not like a BK ploy. It’s real. Real good! Go to Ann Arbor, find UofM’s campus, take a whiff, and you’ll be sucked right in.

Even though our visit took place in January, the lack of snow prevented us from seeing Blimpy’s traditional sculpture display of snow bears gracing the façade. It’s quite a sight to see when there is snow.

The time of day and what may be happening throughout Ann Arbor will determine how long you will have to wait. We were able to walk right in and grab our drinks and trays at 4:30 on a Monday. However, we’ve both seen the line out the door before.

Now it’s time to stay on your toes because you are going to be faced with a battery of questions from the Blimpy grillers. When prompted, you are expected to answer on demand. It’s all part of the experience. Make sure you pay attention and keep your socializing to a minimum, especially if they are busy. If it’s your first time, tell them you’re a Blimpy Burger virgin and they will not only be nice to you, but also give you a Tootsie Pop at the end.

Your first few questions will concern the deep fryer and grill. Onion rings (Kevin’s favorite), fries, and even veggies can be thrown into the fryer. Then, just about anything you can think of can be grilled with you burger. Try onion, bacon, salami, egg, and more.

The next set of questions will concern the amount of meat you want, the bun, and the cheese/toppings. Each Blimpy patty begins as a round mound at approximately 1/10 pound. So, plan on ordering a double, triple, quad (which we ordered), or quintuple. They’ll seriously toss you out if you order a single. Next, your round mounds get quickly squashed on the grill with a spatula. Don’t blink – it’s on to the bun, and there are four to pick from. Choose fast, as Blimpy is ready to toast it on their grill, which at this point is pretty loaded. Next are the cheese and toppings. With six different cheese choices, any cheese lover is in heaven. You can mix and match or go with only one. As for the toppings, Blimpy wants what’s “wet” first (ketchup, mustard, mayo). Then, let them know if you are interested in pickles, hot peppers, and there’s a ton more options too.

Once we completed the assault of questions and our burger was created, we had to pay up. Cash only here. They do have an ATM inside, but we’re not sure how much they will get you for fee wise. If you have more than a few bucks coming back to you in change, you will more than likely see a two-dollar bill. Don’t forget to tip.

We carried our trays over and sat down. Seating is tight and the tables add to the experience. The burger is delicious and everything adds up to one terrific burger. You try to talk about other things, but you can’t. All you will want to do is talk about how good your burger is.

The four beef patties all on top of one another create a nice, thick, meaty experience. We could taste a hint of seasoning (Worchester sauce?) and it made the taste of the meat delicious. The cheese oozed from the burger, creating trails from burger to mouth. The bun and the onions were perfectly grilled/toasted and the correct blend and amount of toppings rounded out this ridiculously good burger.

Meat: 4.5/5They double-grind their own western chuck daily!

Bun: 4/5Having four to choose from obviously offers a terrific variety. However, our buns have been overpowered and destroyed by the grease at times. And, we've noticed that the pumpernickel can be a bit large, but still worthy to those with a hearty appetite.

Cheese: 5/5Having six choices and having the ability to mix and match creates a cheese lover’s paradise. When it's all together, the cheese ends up woven between the multiple patties.

Sides and Beverages: 4.5/5What would give them the extra 1/2 point? You can probably guess.

Uniqueness: 10/10Blimpy Burger has got to be one of the most unique burger joints on the planet. Walk in and you won’t disagree.

BURGER TASTE RATING: 9.75/10What else can we say? We want to go there right now.

BURGER EXPERIENCE SCORE: 37.75/40

Random Shots: What was amazing is how they can take a massive burger off the creation station, somehow wrap it up, and make it able to fit in your mouth. Be sure to check out the videos on our blog from Man v. Food and Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives - all featuring Blimpy. Finally, did you know that there are 2,147,483,648 different burger combinations at Blimpy?